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Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor and Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential nomination, has made a significant change within his campaign. On Tuesday, he demoted his presidential campaign manager, Generra Peck, to the role of chief strategist. James Uthmeier, the governor’s trusted chief of staff, will take her place as the new campaign manager. David Polyansky, a veteran Republican strategist and former adviser to the pro-DeSantis political action committee, Never Back Down, will become the deputy campaign manager.
DeSantis’s decision to reset his bid for the Republican nomination comes as he faces a widening gap between himself and Donald Trump. Despite recent criminal indictments, polls compiled by FiveThirtyEight show Trump leading the primary race with over 53 percent, while DeSantis trails at approximately 15 percent.
When DeSantis entered the race this year, he was seen as Trump’s biggest Republican competitor, thanks to his successful re-election in Florida in 2022 and his popularity on Fox News for his efforts during the coronavirus pandemic. However, issues such as social awkwardness and faltering in his fight against “wokeness” have hurt his appeal to some Republican voters.
DeSantis has also faced criticism for the rapid pace of his presidential campaign and his initial focus on conservative media circles. In recent weeks, he has downsized his staff, which included the firing of an aide who shared a video featuring Nazi imagery in support of DeSantis.
“James Uthmeier has been one of Governor DeSantis’s top advisors for years, and he is needed where it matters most: working alongside Generra Peck and the rest of the team to position the governor to win the primary and defeat Joe Biden,” said Andrew Romeo, the communications director for DeSantis.
DeSantis has faced criticism from some major GOP donors for signing a six-week abortion ban bill into state law. However, he clarified his stance on Monday, stating that he would not support a federal ban on abortions.
Additionally, DeSantis openly dismissed Trump’s claims of winning the 2020 election, making it clear that he does not support the former president’s attempts to overturn the election results.
The Financial Times recently reported that prominent donors, including billionaires Ken Griffin and Nelson Peltz, are reconsidering their support for DeSantis due to concerns that he has shifted too far towards the right. Earlier this year, top Republican donor Thomas Peterffy stated that he was “putting [himself] on hold” partly due to DeSantis’s views on social issues.
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